Sunday, November 15, 2009

Michelle Wie Wins The Lorena Ochoa Invitational

....By now you've probably seen Michelle's shot out of the green-side bunker on the final hole of the tournament on some other sports highlight reel or another. She rolled her ball within a foot of the hole and tapped that in for the win. Continuing from where I left off below....while I was following the tournament on television, I also had the LPGA website on my computer screen. Namely the leaderboard page where scores are updated as they are played. When Michelle landed her approach shot into the bunker it was another uh-oh moment....would she blast her sand shot over the stands at the 18th-hole, incur a penalty, and take 6 more shots to finally sink it into the cup. While the tv broadcast was waiting for Michelle to walk up to the green I happened to glance at my computer screen only to find that the LPGA's website displaying that Michelle had already won the tournament. I was not the least bit amuzed to discover that the tv broadcast is a delayed broadcast, if only by a few minutes. At any rate, already knowing the outcome in advance actually spared me from turning off the game and missing out watching a historical moment, if you're been following Michelle Wie, that is. I have no inclination to follow Michelle's every game after this. That said, tv screen writers couldn't have scripted a better fictitious golf game why with Michelle's approach shot landing in the bunker with a probable "but, it was not to be" ending hanging in the balance. Then in the very next take, Michelle's ball rolling in a sweeping arc to within a foot of the hole. Btw, that was a Nike brand golf ball. How much does Nike pay Michelle....was it $5 million a year?

Here's how I saw it. There was Hawaii's most famous female athlete, Michelle Wie, tee-ing off on the final hole of the tournament holding a 1-stroke lead. Michelle's golf ball lands safely in the fairway. Big relief. Anything can happen with Michelle Wie, if you know what I mean. The 18th hole is a par-5 and she has 4 more strokes to get there....to arrive at her first win, if only finally. If Michelle was charged overdue fines she'd owe her fans trillions. On her second shot, Michelle plunks it into the green-side bunker aiming the ball for the green instead of protecting her lead and playing it safe. Michelle gulps, her trademark expression upon faultering. Michelle "Big Gulp" Wie. 2-hours I've been watching this golf tournament on television on a Sunday in the apartment only to have it all end like this. At her last week's LPGA tournament Michelle came in 2nd place and the stars seemed so aligned for Michelle's first win. Remember, the lady golfers take a few minutes to walk to their golf balls and you get to think about these things. (more later. Late, i going sleep)